Summary
Square Enix is mostly known for publishing high-profile role-playing video gameslikeFinal FantasyandDragon Quest, but most aren’t aware that the company is also a prolific manga publisher. As the owner of the Gangan Comics imprint, Square Enix has been responsible for popular manga franchises likeFullmetal AlchemistandSoul Eater.
One of Square Enix’s many manga magazines isMonthly GFantasy, which predominantly publishes stories with fantastical or supernatural elements. A good number of popular properties have been published in this magazine. Here are some of the best manga from theGFantasyanthology.
10The Irregular At Magic High School
In a world where magic is commonplace and synthesized with modern technology, Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba enroll in First High School. Though Miyuki is considered a top student, Tatsuya is treated as bottom class. In truth, however, Tatsuya’s mastery over and knowledge of magic allow him to be seen as stupendous despite his inability to use it properly.
Initially starting as a light novel series,The Irregular at Magic High Schoolsoon became a franchise with multiple anime and manga adaptations. The story takes a scientific approach to magic, making it more like a sci-fi series rather than a fantasy.
9Zombie-Loan
Michiru Kita has always been able to see dark rings around the necks of people who are close to dying, with a black ring sealing their death. Despite this, she sees two boys in her class who have black rings despite still being alive: Chika Akatsuki and Shito Tachibana. She soon learns that the two were in a deadly accident, but made a deal with the organization Zombie-Loan to hunt zombies in exchange for being resurrected.
Zombie-Loanis a supernatural action series by the renowned mangaka duo Peach-Pit. Fans of supernatural manga will certainly enjoy the nonstop action featured within this work’s pages.
8Superior Cross
Sheila is the all-powerful Demon Queen who leads the monsters against an all-out war against the humans. One day, she meets the Hero Exa, who is compassionate towards monsters even as he aims to defeat the Demon Lord. Sheila pretends to be a meek monster to kill him once he lets his guard down, but to her surprise, she ends up falling in love with him instead.
Superior Crossis a classic fantasy romance with an enemies-to-lovers premise. It was initially published in another magazine asSuperiorbut was retitled asSuperior Crosswhen it transferred toMonthly GFantasy.
7Aoharu X Machinegun
When the boyish Hotaru Tachibana learns that her friend was scammed, she immediately goes to confront the culprit Masamune Matsuoka. However, she ends up losing, and as punishment, Masamune forces her to join his Survival Game Team “Toy Gun Gun.” There’s only one problem: the team is males-only,meaning Hotaru must hide her genderor be kicked from the team.
Aoharu x Machinegunis an outlandish sports series that focuses on gun-based survival games. While there is no worry of death, the series still has a lot of thrilling action and exciting fights.
6Nabari No Ou
Miharu Rokujo was a normal high school student until he was attacked by ninja. He is protected by allies who inform him that he carries the Shinra Bansho scroll within him and that ninjas all over the world will not stop until they can get a hold of it.
Nabari no Ouis a supernatural manga serieswith a focus on the ninja world. Fans of martial arts stories with lots of high-octane action will certainly enjoy this series.
5Saiyuki
In a world where humans and youkai coexist, a phenomenon known as the Minus Wave causes youkai to go berserk, killing and eating humans as in the past. To stop the resurrection of the evil god Gyumao, monk Genjo Sanzo and his acolytes Son Goku, Sha Gojo, and Cho Hakkai are sent on a journey to stop the Minus Waves.
Saiyukiis a supernatural action manga based heavily on Journey to the West, though the story takes massive liberties with the classic tale. Saiyuki has become a big franchise, with multiple sequels and anime adaptations that are still coming out to this day.
4Horimiya
Hori is a popular and fashionable girl at school, while Miyamura is a gloomy loner who wears heavy clothes even in the summer. However, at home, Hori puts up her hair and dons the appearance of a busy housekeeper, while Miyamura reveals himself to be more wild than he appears, with piercings and tattoos all over his body. The two meet by chance in their alter egos and soon bond over their secrets.
Horimiya is a little different from the usual GFantasy fare, being a simple rom-com series rather than something fantastic or supernatural. Nevertheless, the series was a hit with readers and is stillone of the most popular rom-coms of the modern era.
3Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun
Occult-loving Nene Yashiro attempts to summon Hanako-san of the Toilet so that she can have her wish for a boyfriend granted. To her surprise, Hanako-san is actually a boy in charge of keeping the balance between the human world and the supernatural world. Roped into being his assistant, Nene is dragged along as Hanako-kun does his best to keep the rumors at the school from getting out of hand.
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kunis a supernatural seriesfocused on occult stories. Fans of Japanese folklore will get a lot out of Hanako-kun and the many bizarre hijinks he gets up to.
2Pandora Hearts
Oz Vessalius is the heir to the Vessalius house and lives a luxurious life with his sister Ada and best friend Gilbert. However, he is sent to the Abyss by a mysterious group named the Baskervilles on his coming-of-age ceremony, and can only escape by making a contract with a Chain called Alice.
Pandora Heartsis an incredibly imaginative fantasy series and one that is by now considered a classic. Fans of classic fairy tales should definitely give this series a try.
1Black Butler
Ciel Phantomhive lost his family to unknown attackers and was sold into slavery. After suffering all sorts of abuse at the hands of a demon-worshipping cult, Ciel sells his soul to a demon and has him not only kill his captors but also help him find and kill the people who destroyed his family. Naming the demon Sebastian after his dog, Ciel inherits his father’s position as the Queen’s Watchdog and begins investigating cases given to him by the Queen herself.
Black Butleris a dark fantasy seriesthat takes place in Victorian-era England and is an incredibly popular franchise with an ongoing anime adaptation. Many anime fans have gotten into anime and manga because ofBlack Butler, and the series is ongoing to this day.
